Nature matters to our ability to connect — with each other and ourselves. In this episode of House Calls, we explore how being in nature – whether it’s your local green space, or a national park, or somewhere in between – can build deep and important connections. Who better to take us on this journey than Baratunde Thurston, host of the PBS series “America Outdoors” and the podcast “How To Citizen.” Baratunde has traveled the United States from the Okefenokee Swamp to Death Valley, meeting people of all types and exploring their habitats with them. Baratunde shares his insights – that we Americans love the world around us and nature makes us feel better, both in body and mind. As we share our natural world with other animals and humans, Baratunde helps us see ourselves as part of something bigger, that we are beings who thrive on relationships, community, and participation with the world. 

(02:26)    How did Baratunde’s mother introduce him to nature? 

(08:04)    Why nature was a healing force for young Baratunde 

(14:42)    What wonders did Baratunde experience creating “America Outdoors?” 

(20:41)    How can nature help us reconnect with what’s really important? 

(23:27)    How does sharing the outdoors build connections across differences? 

(29:24)    How can we get more doses of nature on a daily basis? 

(32:43)    How can nature help us when we’re struggling? 

(37:50)    Why does Baratunde consider the word “citizen” a verb? 

(44:02)    What is the life balance of the individual versus the collective? 

(51:46)    What does Baratunde’s journey into the science reveal about nature and our mental health?

(54:04)    Where’s the nature in the urban spaces? 

(55:33)    What does really knowing, and loving, other people do for us and for community? 

(01:00:21)    What gives Baratunde hope? 

(01:04:23)    What is Baratunde’s favorite food on the road? 

For more conversations, visit www.surgeongeneral.gov/housecalls. 

We’d love to hear from you! Send us a note at housecalls@hhs.gov with your feedback & ideas. 

Baratunde Thurston, Host, Activist & Comedian 

Twitter: @baratunde 

Instagram: @baratunde 

Facebook: @baratunde 

About Baratunde Thurston 

Baratunde Thurston tells a better story of us, weaving together threads of race, technology, democracy and climate through his work as an Emmy-nominated host, producer, writer, and public speaker. He is the host and executive producer of the PBS television series “America Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston,” creator and host of “How To Citizen” with Baratunde which Apple named one of its favorite podcasts of 2020, and a founding partner of the new media startup Puck. His comedic memoir, “How To Be Black,” is a New York Times best-seller. In 2019, he delivered what MSNBC’s Brian Williams called “one of the greatest TED talks of all time.” Baratunde is unique in his ability to integrate and synthesize different and difficult topics in a style that’s intelligent, compassionate, and humorous. Baratunde serves on the boards of Civics Unplugged and the Brooklyn Public Library and lives in Los Angeles, California.